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THE DAUGHTER OF HIRAM ABIF 



BOOKS BY JOHN J. LANIER 
National Masonic Lecturer 

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THE DAUGHTER 

OF 

HIRAM ABIF 

A Story of Three Thousand Years Ago 



By JOHN J. LANIER 



MACOY PUBLISHING AND MASONIC 

SUPPLY COMPANY 

45-47 John Street, New York 



COPYRIGHT, 1922, 
By JOHN J. LANIER 

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DEDICATED TO 

MASONS, THEIR WIVES, SISTERS 

AND DAUGHTERS 



THE DAUGHTER OF HIRAM ABIF 



THE DAUGHTER OF HIRAM ABIF 

In allusion to the part played by Hiram Abif 
in building Solomon's Temple, it is said that 
the wisdom of Solomon contrived the fabric, and 
the strength of King Hiram's wealth and power 
supported the undertaking, and it was adorned 
by the beauty of Hiram Abif's curious and cun- 
ning workmanship. 

Such is the character of Hiram Abif, which 
has been transmitted by the uninterrupted stream 
of Masonic tradition, and as such all Masons 
have learned to know and to love the Widow's 
Son. 

This book recounts the virtues and sings the 
beauty and fame of his daughter, so that all may 
know and love this glorious woman as did King 
Solomon and Cleonthes, the young Greek archi- 
tect, who helped Hiram Abif build the Temple 
of Jehovah in Jerusalem in the days of King 
Solomon three thousand years ago. 

I tell the story as it was told me by a learned 
Rabbi, who said: You have heard of, and 

9 



io The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

doubtless know, Hiram Abif; but do you know 
the Daughter of Hiram Abif? 

No: then, I will tell you her story as it has 
been preserved in the archives of the Lodge 
founded by Cleonthes in memory of Hiram 
Abif's Daughter, whose love was stronger than 
death. 

Who is this Rabbi and where is this lodge? 
Here the Rabbi pledged me to silence and se- 
crecy, but said: Tell him who asks, Why is 
it not the lodge erected in your heart to the 
memory of her 

Whose love is as beautiful as Tirza, 

Comely as Jerusalem, 
Whose flashes are flashes of fire — 

A very flame of the Lord! 



THE DAUGHTER OF HIRAM ABIF 

A STORY OF THREE THOUSAND 

YEARS AGO 



CHARACTERS 

King Solomon 
King Hiram of Tyre 
Hiram Abif 
Zabud 

The Shulammite 
Cleonthes, the assistant 
Architect of Hiram Abif 
Captain of the Guard 
The Chorus, Court Ladies 
Courtiers, and Officers of State 
Pan 

The Priests of Pan 
The Spirits of Pan 

The Youths, Maidens, Fathers and 
Mothers of Arcadia 



PROLOGUE 

Love is as strong as death; 

The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, 

A very flame of the Lord. 

Many waters cannot quench love, 

(Neither can the floods drown it; 

If a man give all the substance of his house for 

love, 
It would be utterly contemned. 



ACT I 



SCENE I. THE AUDIENCE CHAMBER 
OF KING SOLOMON 

HIRAM IN ANGER 

The twenty cities in Galilee please me not, 
nor are they such as thou promised me. Thou 
hast not kept thy faith. My servants did cut 
thee down as many trees out of Lebanon as 
thou didst want, and conveyed them to thee on 
rafts by sea to Joppa — cedar and fir trees and 
pine-trees from Lebanon — providing timbers in 
abundance for the houses which thou didst de- 
sire to build ; and I sent thee Hiram, the Master, 
a wise and most skillful man, to devise engeni- 
ously all the work needed for thy house, who 
hast lost his life in thy service. There was 
peace between us, and we made a league together, 
notwithstanding my gods are not thine, because 
we were brethren in the sacred mysteries; and 
thou didst give me twenty towns for the serv- 
ice to be rendered thee. 



15 



i6 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 



SOLOMON 

The anger of King Hiram is unjust and does 
little credit to the honor and wisdom of King 
Hiram. 

KING HIRAM 

Thy wisdom surpasseth that of all men of the 
East and of the Egyptians; and yet thou art 
not wise enough to know that cunning is not 
wisdom. For he is not wise, because he is not 
honest, who doth not keep his word in the 
spirit as well as in the letter. 

SOLOMON 

Again thou speakest unjustly. The twenty 
towns I promised thee, I will give thee — and 
no more. 

KING HIRAM 

[Becomes still more angry and raises his voice 
in tones of menace\ 

Thou didst promise me twenty towns! I did 
not look to receive so many ruined and dilapi- 
dated villages, surrounded by howling wilder- 
nesses; but twenty populous and flourishing 
places, surrounded by smiling fields and fruit- 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 17 

ful meadows. These cities which thou hast 
given me are cabul } and shall be so called from 
this time henceforth. 



THE GUARDS 

{Enter with a prisoner] 
Most wise and powerful king Solomon, we 
found this fellow playing the eaves-dropper. 

KING HIRAM 

Let the eaves-dropper be slain! Such is the 
fate of those who spy upon kings. 

KING SOLOMON 

Thrice Illustrious King Hiram, it doth not 
become the majesty of kings, to whom is given 
the power of life and death, to condemn any 
one, even the humblest, unheard. Zabud, what 
hast thou to say in explanation of thy conduct? 

ZABUD 

O King Solomon, seeing the Thrice Illustrous 
King Hiram, whom I did not know personally, 
enter hastily and angrily into the audience cham- 
ber, and not knowing what evil purpose might 



1 8 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

have led him thither, I approached the door 
that I might be ready to enter, protect, and de- 
fend thee, O King Solomon, in case my assist- 
ance should be necessary. 

KING SOLOMON 

Zabud, I commend thy watchfulness and 
loyalty, but in the future let not thy zeal out- 
run thy caution. 

[Turning to King Hirarn\ 

His zeal caused him to neglect the precau- 
tions, which curiosity would have taken against 
discovery. He was seen by the guards and 
taken to be an eaves-dropper. 

{Exeunt Guards and Zabud~\ 

HIRAM 

[His anger having cooled, and realizing that 
he has done Solomon a great injustice says~\ 

In mine anger, chafing under the injustice 
done me, I did my royal brother a wrong in con- 
demning him unheard. 

SOLOMON 

Let the memory of our dead friend Hiram 
Abiff, cement more firmly the friendship of the 
living. My brother, if the towns in the land 
of Galilee suit thee not, choose wherever else 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 19 

thou wilt in my dominions, and whatever cities 
thou chosest shall be thine. 



HIRAM 

My brother, thy friendship is of greater 
value than many cities or even kingdoms. Ac- 
cept again the towns as a token of my brotherly 
regard, and of the renewal of our league and 
firm alliance. And I give thee an hundred and 
twenty talents of gold from my treasury, toward 
the expenses of the Holy House of Jehovah, and 
thine own palace, and to aid in building the 
walls of Jerusalem, and thy other cities. 

SOLOMON 

Now is Hiram my brother again. Since thou 
hast had report from the cities of Galilee, I have 
sent Cleonthes, the Greek architect who assisted 
Hiram Abiff in building the Temple, to re- 
store those cities. When thou earnest I was 
making ready to visit Galilee to see if they were 
restored according to my instructions. Come, 
go with me. 

But before going, let a new treaty be drawn 
and sealed, as a perpetual memorial to all genera- 
tions of our people, that shall bind thy people 
and mine more closely together. My ships have 



20 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

returned from Ophir laden with gold, and I now 
make payment to thee in gold for building the 
Temple and take back the cities of Galilee, 
thanking my brother for his generous and royal 
gift. 

KING HIRAM 

Let thy secretary write the treaty; and sealed 
with our seals, let it be laid up in the archives 
of each kingdom. 

KING SOLOMON 

Tomorrow we will depart for Galilee. 



SCENE II. GALILEE 

King Solomon, King Hiram, and the Court 
make a tour of Galilee and Lebanon. While 
the Chorus is singing the praises of King Sol- 
omon, the cavalcade suddenly comes upon a beau- 
tiful shepherd maid, who is watching them 
pass. 

CHORUS 

[Singing the praises of Solomon"] 

King Solomon made a palanquin of the wood 

of Lebanon, 
He made the pillars thereof of silver, 

The bottom thereof of gold, 
The seat of it of purple, 

Inlaid with love from the daughters of Jeru- 
salem. 

Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold 

King Solomon, 
With the crown wherewith his mother hath 

crowned him, 

21 



22 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

In the day of his espousals, 

And in the day of the gladness of his heart. 



THE SHULAMMITE IN SURPRISE 

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness 

Like pillars of smoke, 
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, 
With all the powders of the merchants? 
Behold it is the litter of Solomon; 

Threescore mighty men are about it, 
Of the mighty men of Israel. 
They all handle the sword and are expert in 

war; 
Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, 

Because of fear in the night. 

THE COURT IN SURPRISE 

[At the beauty of the Shulammite] 
Who is she that looketh forth as the morning 
Fair as the moon, pure as the sun, 

Terrible as an army with banners? 

KING SOLOMON 

[Looking in admiration at the Shulammite'] 
There are threescore queens, 
And fourscore concubines, 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 23 

And virgins without number. 
My dove, my undefiled, is but one, 

She is the only one of her mother, 

She is the pure one of her that bear her. 

[Addressing the Shulammite~\ 
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; 
Come from tihe top of Armana, 

From the top of Senir and Hermon, 
From the lions' dens, 
From the mountains of the leopards. 

THE COURT IN ALARM 

[As the Shulammite turns to go away.~\ 
Return, return, O shulammite, 
Return that we may look upon thee! 

SHULAMMITE 

Why will you look upon the Shulammite? 

COURT LADIES 

As upon the dance of the Mahanaim! 

Solomon carries the Shulammite away to Jeru- 
salem. 



SCENE III. THE HAREM IN 
JERUSALEM 

SHULAMMITE SOLILOQUIZING 

The King hath brought me into his chambers. 

CHORUS 

We will be glad and rejoice in thee 

We will make mention of thy name more than 

of wine: 
Rightly do they love thee. 

SHULAMMITE 

[To the virgins while robing her\ 
I am black. 

CHORUS 

But comely. 

SHULAMMITE 

O ye daughters of Jerusalem, 
As the tents of Kedar, 



24 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 25 

CHORUS 

as the curtains of Solomon. 

SHULAMMITE 

Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, 
Because the sun hath scorched me. 
My mother's sons were incensed against me, 
They made me keepers of the vineyards; 
But mine own vineyard have I not kept. 
Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, 
Where thou feedest thy flock, where thou 

makest it to rest at noon: 
For why should I be as one that is veiled 
Beside the flocks of thy companions? 

CHORUS 

If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, 
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, 
And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 

She is robed by the virgins and seated by 
King Solomon during the banquet. 



SCENE IV. THE BANQUET 

SOLOMON 

How beautiful are thy feet in thy sandals, 

Thy neck is like a tower of ivory; 

Thine eyes are as the pools of Heshbon, 

By the gates of Bath-Rabbin; 

The hair of thy head is like purple, 

The king is held captive in the tresses thereof; 

How fair and how pleasant art thou! 

SHULAMMITE 

[Thinking of her shepherd lover] 
Behold thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; 
Also our couch is green. 

SOLOMON 

The beams of our house are cedars, 
And our rafters are firs. 

SHULAMMITE 

[Still thinking of her shepherd lover] 
26 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 27 

I sat down under his shadow with great delight, 

And his fruit was sweet to my taste. 

He brought me to his banquetting house, 

And his banner over me was love; 

His left hand is under my head, 

And his right hand doth embrace me. 



SOLOMON 

Much better is thy love than wine! 
Thy lips drop as the honey comb, 
Honey and milk are under thy tongue; 
Thou art a fountain of gardens, 

A well of living waters, 
Better than all flowing streams from Lebanon, 
And the smell of thy garments than all manner 
of spices! 



SHULAMMITE 

Awake, O north wind; and Come, O south; 

Blow upon my garden, 
That the spices thereof may flow out, 
But my garden is not for King Solomon. 
I beseech you by the roes and hinds of the 

fields, 
That you wake not love till it please. 



28 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

I am my beloved's 

And my beloved is mine: 

He feedeth his flock among the lilies. 

Solomon is greatly surprised that the Shulam- 
mite rejects his love, and casts her into prison. 
The captain of the guard enters. 

CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD 

O King Solomon, live forever. Cleonthes 
whom thou didst send to restore the cities of 
Galilee hath returned and desireth audience with 
thee. 

SOLOMON 

How dareth Cleonthes disturb the banquet of 
the kings? 

CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD 

He saith the message concerns the honor of 
the King and will not take denial upon pain of 
death. He hath given the sign of the Lion of 
Judah and craveth audience with thee and King 
Hiram. 

HIRAM 

The message of Cleonthes must then indeed 
be urgent. 



The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 29 

SOLOMON 

[To King Hirarn] 

He hath given the sign of the Lion of Judah, 
and we cannot violate our oath of Brotherhood. 

[To the Captain of the Guard\ 
Admit Cleonthes to our private audience cham- 
ber. 

CLEONTHES 

Most wise and noble King Solomon, dost 
thou know that the maiden whom thou hast 
brought to Jerusalem is the daughter of Hiram 
Abif? While in Galilee superintending the 
building of the cities, I met the Shulammite and 
under the guise of a shepherd won her love. 
She is my promised bride. 

SOLOMON 

The Shulammite, thy promised bride! She 
is the lily of the valley, the rose of Sharon, and 
shall be the queen of King Solomon! 

CLEONTHES 

If she loveth thee, O King, better than she 
doth Cleonthes. If she doth not, she will 
marry Cleonthes. Remember, O most wise and 



30 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

noble Solomon, thine oath sworn on the sacred 
altar just before the death of Hiram Abif? 



SOLOMON 

I love the Shulammite, Cleonthes, better than 
life itself, and to win her love I would give the 
half of my kingdom: but our oath is stronger 
than love or life or death. By that oath I 
swear to return the Shulammite maiden to 
Galilee, as she was when she came, if she loveth 
Cleonthes and not King Solomon. 

CLEONTHES 

Now is the wise and powerful King Solomon 
more than a king. He is my brother. I ac- 
cept the pledge of the oath we swore on the 
sacred altar in the presence of Hiram, King of 
Tyre, and Hiram Abif, the father of the 
Shulammite maid. But do not let her know 
that I have been here. As a shepherd I won 
her love, and wish her to think so still. I 
pledge thee to silence and secrecy. 

King Solomon visits the Shulammite in prison, 
and again tries to win her to be his queen. 



The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 31 

SOLOMON 

Who is the shepherd thou lovest ? 

SHULAMMITE 

My beloved is white and ruddy, 
The chiefest among ten thousand. 

SOLOMON 

This palace will I give thee, 
And all that wealth, fame, and glory 

Can give, will I give thee 

If thou wilt be my bride: 
The gold of Ophir and the rubies of Arabia 

Shall adorn thee, 
The glorious banner of Solomon's love 

Shall float over thee; 
Thy name shall be above the names 

Of all the queens of the earth. 

SHULAMMITE 

Love is as strong as death; 

If a man give all the substance of his house for 

love, 
It would be utterly contemned. 



32 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

I am my beloved's 

And my beloved is mine! 

I beseech thee, O King, 
By the roses and hinds of the fields, 
That you stir not up nor waken love 

Until it please! 

SOLOMON 
[Returns the Shulammite to Galilee, and, as 
she kneels to thank him says.] 

A garden shut up is my sister, my bride, 

A spring shut up, 

A fountain sealed. 
Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, 

With precious fruits; 
Henna and spikenard plants, 

Spikenard with saffron, 
Calmus with cinnamon, with all trees of 

frankincense, 
Myrrh with aloes and all spices. 



ACT II 

SCENE I. THE RETURN TO GALILEE 

After the Shulammite leaves Jerusalem for her 
home in Galilee, Cleonthes follows. Upon the 
night she returns home the Shulammite dreams 
that Solomon has put her in prison again, but 
she escapes and seeks her shepherd lover. 

SHULAMMITE 

I was asleep but my heart waked: 
It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, 
Saying, Open to me, 

My sister, my love, 

My dove, my undefiled; 
For my head is filled with dew, 
My locks with the drops of the night. 

I rose to open to my beloved; 
And my hand dropped with myrrh, 
Upon the handles of the bolt. 

But my beloved was gone. 
I sought him but could not find him; 
I called him but he gave me no answer. 

33 



34 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

The watchman that goeth about the city found 

me, 
They smote me, they wounded me; 
The keepers of the wall took away my veil 

from me. 
[In her dream she accosts the Chorus of the 
daughters of Jerusalem.^ 

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 

If ye find my beloved, 
Tell ye him, that I am sick of love. 

CHORUS 

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
O thou fairest among women? 
What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 
That thou dost so adjure us? 

SHULAMMITE 

My beloved is white and ruddy, 
The chiefest among ten thousand. 

His eyes are like doves beside the water 
brooks. 

His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh: 

This is my beloved, and this is my friend, 
O daughters of Jerusalem. 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 35 

CHORUS 

Whither is thy beloved gone, 
O thou fairest among women? 

Wither hath thy beloved turned him, 
That we may seek him with thee? 

SHULAMMITE 

My beloved is gone down to his garden, 

To the bed of spices, 
To feed in the garden 

And gather the lilies. 

/ am my beloved's 

And my beloved is mine: 

He feedeth his flock among the lilies. 



SCENE II. MY BELOVED IS MINE 

[She wakes in the morning, and finds that she 
has been dreaming, and exclaims \\ 

My beloved is mine and I am his! 

He feedeth his flock among the lilies, 
Until the day break and the shadows flee 

away! 
[She hears her lover calling and exclaims:] 

The voice of my beloved ! behold he cometh 

Leaping upon the mountains, 

Skipping upon the hills! 
My beloved is like a roe or young hart: 

Behold he standeth behind our wall. 

SHEPHERD 

Rise up, my beloved, my fair one, 

And come away. 
For lo the winter is past, 

The rain is over and gone; 
The flowers appear upon the earth; 
36 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 37 

The time of the singing birds have come, 

And the voice of the turtle dove is heard in 
the land; 

The figtree ripeneth her figs, 

And the vines are in blossom, 
They give forth their fragrance. 

Arise, my love, my fair one, 
And come away. 

SHU LAM MITE 

[Orc the way to her garden she tells her lover 
her dreamJ] 

By night, on my bed, I sought him whom my 

soul loveth: 
I sought him but found him not. 
I said, I will go about the city, 

In the streets and broad ways, 
I will seek him whom my soul loveth: 

I sought him but found him not. 
The watchmen that goeth about the city found 

me: 
To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul 

loveth ? 
It was but a little that I passed them 
When I found him whom my soul loveth: 
I held him and would not let him go, 
Until I brought him into my mother's house. 



38 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

SHEPHERD 

Come, let us go forth into the field; 
Let us get up early to the vineyards ; 
Let us see whether the vine hath budded, 
And the tender grapes appear, 

And the pomegranate be in flower. 



SCENE III. I AM MY BELOVED'S 

[She tells her lover how King Solomon car- 
ried her away to Jerusalem.] 

I went down into the garden of nuts, 
To see the green plants of the valley, 

To see whether the vine budded, 

And the pomegranates were in flower. 

Or ever I was aware, my soul let me among 
The chariots of my princely people. 

He carried me away to Jerusalem, 
The beams of his palace are cedars, 
And its rafters are firs. 

And his fruit was sweet to my taste, 
He brought me to his banquetting house, 
And his banner over me was love. 

SHEPHERD 

Come with me from the lions' dens, 
From the mountains of the leopards. 
39 



40 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 



SHULAMMITE 



I am the rose of Sharon, 
A lily of the valleys. 

SHEPHERD 

As a lily among the thorns, 

So is my love among the daughters. 



SHULAMMITE 



As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, 
So is my beloved among the sons. 



SHEPHERD 

Thou art fair, my love; behold thou art fair, 
Thine eyes are as the eyes of a dove ; 
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, 

And thy mouth is comely: 
Thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate. 



SHULAMMITE 

Tell me where thou feedest thy flock, 
Where thou makest it to rest at noon ; 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 41 

For why should I be as one that wandereth 
Beside the flocks of thy companions? 

SHEPHERD 

O thou fairest among women, 
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, 
And feed thy kids beside the shepherd's tent. 

SHULAMMITE 

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, 
And as a signet upon thine arm, 

For love is as strong as death, 

And jealousy as cruel as the grave; 

The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, 

A very flame of the Lord! 

Many waters cannot quench love, 

Neither can the floods drown it; 

If a man should give all the substance 
of his house for love 

It would be utterly contemned! 

SHEPHERD 

Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, 

Comely as Jerusalem, 
Terrible as an army with banners. 
Turn thine eyes away from me, 

For they have overcome me! 



42 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 



SHULAMMITE 



Let me see thy countenance, 

Let me hear thy voice; 
For sweet is thy voice, 
And thy countenance is comely. 



SHEPHERD 



Kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth, 
For thy love is better than wine! 

SHULAMMITE 

My beloved is mine and I am his: 
He feedeth his flock among the lilies, 
I will get me unto the mountain of myrrh, 
And to the hill of frankincense! 

/ adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
By the roes and hinds of the fields, 
That ye stir not up, nor waken love, 
Until it please. 



SCENE IV— THE FESTIVAL OF 
MALKARTH 

In the meanwhile, Hiram arrives in Galilee 
on his way to Tyre, and informs Cleonthes that 
he must accompany him and design a temple for 
his God, Malkarth, at Tyre. 

Cleonthes must obey, but asks leave to revisit 
his native land and be married as his father was 
at the Festival of Pan. King Hiram consents, 
and the mother of the Shulammite and her sons 
join Hiram's caravan on its way to Tyre. 

On arriving at Tyre, King Hiram celebrates 
the Festival of Malkarth, the incarnation of the 
Sun at the Winter Solstice, called his rebirth or 
Awakening, which was celebrated by means of a 
pyre on which the God regained through the aid 
of fire a new life. Hiram first performed these 
ceremonies while the Temple was building at 
Jerusalem. 

After witnessing and joining in these ceremon- 
ies, they sail for Athens on their way to Arcadia, 
the home of Cleonthes, which they reach in time 

for the Festival of Fan. 

43 



ACT III— IN GREECE 

THE FESTIVAL OF PAN 

The marriage Festival in Arcadia, was held 
in honor of Pan, the god of herds and hunters. 
Their wandering life led them from the pastures 
of the lowlands up to the mountains in the 
summer. Here Pan was honored with annual 
sacrifices and a Torch race. 

There are several conceptions of Pan. Origin- 
ally he was the god and protective spirit of the 
herds and hunters of Arcadia. Then he passed 
into the war-god with the growth of the mer- 
cenary spirit of the Arcadians. His worship 
was introduced into Athens after the battle of 
Marathon, when Pan was believed to have ful- 
filled the promise to help the Arcadians. Later 
philosophers, and especially the Stoics, trans- 
formed the divinity of Pan into the All-God. 

Pan's appearance has been described, in ac- 
cordance with his supposed origin, as having 
goat's legs and horns and a shaggy beard and 

44 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 45 

hair, whose animal nature is marked by short 
horns on his forehead. 

But at the time Cleonthes and the Shulam- 
mite were married these coarse features had not 
been introduced. Pan was the protective spirit 
of the herds and hunters of Arcadia, and the in- 
spiration of the love of youths and maidens. 

Every poem in this act is original with 
the exception of "The Shepherd of Tempe," 
which is from the Pall Mall Gazette. 

The "Marriage Festival of Cleonthes and 
the Shulammite in Arcady" is the glorification of 
the joyous spirit of youth. Everything con- 
nected with it must have the perfection of deli- 
cate finish, and especially the music and danc- 
ing. 

It calls for all possible coloring effects of light 
and shade, mountain and forest scenery. It ex- 
hausts the possibilities of graceful costuming, joy- 
ous music, and Greek dancing. It gives the 
director unlimited possibilities of producing mass 
effects. 

When the proper music is written, it will be 
a veritable Midsummer-Night Dream which 
will "make the things we see a glory and a mel- 
ody for you and me." 



ACT III 

THE MARRIAGE FESTIVAL OF 

CLEONTHES AND THE SHULAM- 

MITE IN ARCADY 

SCENE I—TO THE GROVES OF PAN 

The Arcadians , as it begins to dawn, ascend 
the mountains to the Groves of Pan. The priests 
lead, chanting. The youths and maidens follow, 
driving the herds and flocks, singing. 

I. Invocation to Pan 

[The priests lead chanting.] 

To Pan our hearts uplifted be 
For Alpha of the gods is he! 

And the Omega he shall be 
For Pan doth live eternally! 

II. The Song of the Youths 

[Driving the herd.] 

O maidens! come with me 

To Arcady! 
And sing the songs of Pan! 
46 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 47 

III. The Song of the Maidens 

[Driving the sheep.~\ 

O youths! come ye with me 
To Arcady! 
For there we hear 
The songs of Pan, the god 
Most loved by maid and man 
Since time began! 

CHORUS 

The songs of Pan we sing! 
Who makes the glory of our youth 
When love is king ! 

Then hail! All hail to Pan! 

Who piping comes to wake 
Love in the heart of man and maid, 

And make 
Her love answer the love of man, 

And then — ! 

O moon ! O stars ! O gentle wind ! 
O nature splendor robed and 

Glorified! 
And man and maiden deified 
By Pan, 
Lip answering lip with love divine 
Since time began! 



SCENE II— THE GROVES OF PAN 

During the sacrifice the priests chant "The 
Coming of Pan. 31 At the rising of the sun, the 
youths and maidens sing the "Hymn to the Sun 
God'* who brings Spring and Pan. While they 
are singing, Pan enters. They surround him, join 
hands, dance, and sing the "Hymn to Pan/ J 

I. The Coming of Pan 

[During the sacrifice the priests chant\ 
In this enchanted hour! 
Lend ye, O moon and stars, 
The magic of your power 
To the conspiracy of Pan! 

For now the Sun god comes 
In every glade and glen 

To kiss 
The Spring to life again! 

And bring the great god Pan 
Who soon will piping come 
48 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 49 

To waken love 
In heart of maid and man! 



II. Hymn to the Sun God 

[As the sun begins to rise, 
the youths and maidens sing.~\ 



The Sun god banishes 
The winter into nothingness! 

And as it vanishes 
The Spring enthralls the world 

With her eternal grace and 
Loveliness — 
But not more fair than maid! 



For then, 'tis said, 
There comes the Pipes of Pan, 
Sounding through wood and vale, 

That never fail 
To snare the heart of youth 
By the sweet magic of the maid, 
Whose hand in hers is laid! 

[Pan enters] 



50 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

III. The Hymn to Pan 

[All join hands, dance and sing around 
Pan] 

Then hail! All hail to Pan! 
Who piping comes to wake 
Love in the heart of man and maid, 

And make 
Her love answer the love of man 
And then — ! 

O moon! O stars! O gentle wind! 
O nature splendor robed and 
Glorified ! 
And man and maiden deified 

By Pan, 
Lip answering lip with love divine 
Since time began! 



SCENE III— THE SONG OF YOUTH 
AND LOVE 

All dressed as lilies. Pan ascends his throne. 
The youths and maidens sing the song of "Youth 
and love!* 

I. The Gift of Pan 

[Cleonthes sings~\ 

While in my heart I was divining 
A gift for you, my love, to-night, 
I saw in heaven's airs reclining 
The nymps of Pan as fair as light. 

In dark eyes much deep love expressing 
Uprose the tallest and began: 
"This gift from heaven goes confessing 
The love Pan has for maid and man." 

II. Gifts of the Nymphs 

\The Shulammite sings~\ 

A soft robed spirit spake, revealing 

51 



52 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

More her thought with eye than word, 

And naught her thought with word concealing, 

What with applause the others heard. 

"As love is sweetest love when bounded 

By links that make it ever sure, 
The heart of this must be surrounded 

With meetest emblem of the pure." 

[Cleonthes sings] 

Then said another nymp arising, 
Possessed of youth forever young, 
The words to suit her thoughts devising 
In softest accents of her tongue: 

"Since love that's pure must live forever, 
As doth her fair twin-sister, truth, 
From this our gift we must not sever 
The emblem of eternal youth." 

III. Love, Youth, and Purity 
[Cleonthes and the Shulammite sing] 

Love, youth, and purity expressing, 
In one gift passing fair they boast, 
Which put beyond all doubt and guessing 
That which the nymps of Pan love most. 



The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 53 

"This gift," said they, "shall be a flower 
Soft pillowed on the level mere, 
Its head above green leaves shall tower, 
And lily will we call it here. 

'Its heart of gold shall be exposing, 
Its calyx leaves the richest green, 
Its petals to the earth disclosing 
The purest white that e'er was seen." 

IV. The Making of the Lily 

[Youths and maidens dance and sing 
with appropriate gestures.] 

The snow tint from their bosoms taking, 
So white and pure in heaven's air, 
They to the petals gave while making, 
Creating thus the lily fair. 

"The white and gold and green combining," 
Said they, "bear this blest emblem true, 
Of pure young love in one entwining 
The lives and loves and hearts of two." 

V. When I See the Lily 
Blowing 

[Youths sing] 

And when I see the lily blowing, 



54 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

The nymps of Pan and their fair gift, 
I feel my heart within me glowing, 
And to my love my eyes I lift 1 

And to her gaze the lily showing, 

Its sheen of white and gold and green, 

When in her eyes comes love's light flowing 

Maid of my heart, I crown thee queen! 

CHORUS 

[The maidens are crowned with lilies by 
their lovers while the chorus sings~\ 

Grecian maid, more fair 
To me than all the nymps of Pan 

1 crown thee queen! 

Then hail! All hail to Pan! 

Who piping comes to wake 
Love in the heart of man and maid 

And make 
Her love answer and love of man, 

And then — ! 

O moon ! O stars ! O gentle wind ! 
O nature splendor robed and 
Glorified ! 
And man and maiden deified 

By Pan, 
Lip answering lip with love divine 
Since time begart! 



SCENE IV. THE TORCH RACE 

The youths and maidens begin the Torch 
Race, which is the Arcadian method of court- 
ship. While the lovers are in the Forest, the 
priests call up the spirits of Pan. 

I. Lighting the Torches 

[While lighting the torches, the youths 
and maidens sing.] 

For you and me 
The glowing twilight throws 
Her beauty o'er the earth and sea! 

And clasps in her fair arms 
My soul filled with the sweet alarms 
Of all your charms! 

II. The Torch Race 

[The youths and maidens sing as the 
Torch Race begins] 

O come with me! 
The heaven is with stars abloom, 

55 



$6 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

And mingles with her shining light 
The rose's blushed perfume 
For you and me to-night ! 

[In the distance] 

O come, my love! 
For soon the moon will rise 
And veil the starlight eyes 
That shine in heaven blue! 

But not dim thine 

For when they shine 

There is no night for you 

And me! 

III. The Pool of Pan 

[Tableau. Nymps swimming in the pool of Pan. 

Pan softly plays beautiful music, called the 

"Swimming Song of the Nymphs."~\ 

IV. The Spirits of Pan 

[The priests chanting invoke the spirits of Pan\ 

O ministering spirits of great Pan! 
Steal round their path with flowers strown ; 
From meadow green and mountain height 
Troop all your forms with graceful zone. 



The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 57 

But let them come with harp in hand, 
Prepared with music's magic sound, 
To sing and peal in joyous band 
The beauty of the world around. 

V. From Far off Land 

[The Spirits of Pan appear to the lovers 
in the forest. Cleonthes sings] 

O see, my love, from far-off land 
Of orange, lemon, cocoa tree, 
The shining spirits round us stand 
And tune their lutes for you and me! 

From misty ocean's bluest wave 
They come with dancing airy light, 
From silent island, grot, and cave 
They stand mysteriously bright. 

They come from moonlit shore 
Of tropic isle low rocked in blue — 
O love! such forms of radiant hue 
Were never seen before 
I first saw you! 

[Spirits of Pan enter. All dance and sing] 

Then hail! All hail to Pan! 
Who piping comes to wake 



58 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

Love in the heart of man and maid 

And make 
Her love answer the love of man, 

And then — ! 

O moon! O stars! O gentle wind! 
O nature splendor robed and 

Glorified ! 
And man and maiden deified 
By Pan, 
Lip answering lip with love divine 
Since time began! 



SCENE V. THE FOREST OF PAN 

Scene, the Forest of Pan. The lovers are be- 
trothed by Pan who plays "The Betrothal 
Song" which is sung by the Spirits of Pan, 

I. The Betrothal Song 

May you forever live 
In sweet content 

And blessed wonderment 
Of youth and love! 

More dear to Pan 

Are souls like these 
Than those who sail the seas 

For golden fleece 
In famous argosies! 

O wind and dew and flowers! 

Whom Pan doth bless, 
Build for them peaceful bowers 

Of love and happiness! 



59 



6o The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

II. The Spirits of Pan Enter 

[As they enter the lovers sing\ 

Now in the circling ring 
The Dew begins to sing. 

Her arms are bare 
Draped with her golden hair. 

Her swift light fingering 
Flies on from string to string. 
O listen, love, the minstrelsy 

She sings for you and me ! 

III. The Song of the Dew 

[Spirit of the Dew plays on harp and sings. 
The spirits of Pan softly dance\ 

As the lengthening shadows 

Creep, 
I bring on the soft blown wings 

Of sleep 
New life for everything: 

For the shriveled blade of 
Grass 
That would wither and fade away 
Alas! 
At close of day; 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 61 

For the leaves that shimmer in 

Their shining sheen 
Of purple and gold and green 

They glimmer in; 

The rose I wake with a kiss, 

And open 
The beautiful eyes men miss 
In the soul that is hidden 

In everything. 

CHORUS 

Ah, love, her song hath ceased! 
And now the spirit of the flowers 
Glides from the snowy breasted band, 
And charms the swiftly passing hours 
With airs known only to her land. 

IV. The Song of the Flowers 

[Spirit of Floivers enters sings, and dances] 

My realm, more beautiful far 

Than on poets ope 
A bright world of inspired 
Thought, 

Doth swing far beyond the 
Pleiades, 



62 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

A starlighted world that seer 

Ne'er sees 
In his rapt lone visions 

Wrought 

I reign there in state and 

Perfumes make, 
The fair fashioned flowers 

Thirst to slake 
With the richest scented 
Draught. 

And thus in the light, and thus 

In the gloom, 
The air is all filled with rich 

Perfume 
By the distillations of my 

Craft. 

And oh, a great wonder it is 

To see 
The myriad bright hues there 

Made by me, 
In a low wind's changeful 

Rhyme, 

For the decking of the flowers 

Born 
Just at the blest time before 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 63 

The dawn, 

Ere the morning light begins 

To chime. 

CHORUS 

Blest spirit of the flowers! 
How swiftly pass the golden hours 
Your sweet enchantments bring! 

But see, my love, in yonder ring 
Come dancing nymps from leafy shade, 
In rainbow gossamer arrayed, 
To hear the South Wind sing. 

Her dark eyes flash and shine 
Like thine, 
Her voice grows sweet and strong 
As swells the music of her song. 

V. The South Wind's Song 

[The South Wind dances and sings\ 

I bring 
The velvet greens 
And purple sheens 
Out of the southern seas ! 

And then 
I spring on bounding wing 



64 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 
Away! Away! All day! 

And dance and play 
Among the grass and trees 
And over the waters low! 

And gently trip 
The blushing rose's lip 
To kiss! 

The red, red rose I kiss! 

Ah, bliss! 
For when her lips I kiss 
All lovely thoughts come 

Everywhere 
I roam the rounded sphere! 

Among the scented vines! 
The music of the whispering pines! 
The starlight and the flowers 
With honeyed nectar 
For sweet bees in fairy bowers! 

O! Everywhere 
The earth enchanting spreads 

To where 
A youth for love a maiden weds! 
Ah, there 
My softest pinions veer! 



The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 65 

And spreading wide them find! 

Ah! them I find! 

Their lives I bind 
With love and flowers twined! 

VI. Hymn to Pan 

[All dance and sing^\ 

Then hail! All hail to Pan! 

Who piping comes to wake 
Love in the heart of man and maid 

And make 
Her love answer the love of man, 

And then — ! 

O moon! O stars! O gentle wind! 
O nature splendor robed and 

Glorified ! 
And man and maiden deified 
By Pan, 
Lip answering lip with love divine 
Since time began! 



SCENE VI. THE MARRIAGE 
FESTIVAL 

All return from the Forest of Pan to the 
Marriage Festival which is celebrated in the 
Groves of Pan. After the marriage of the 
lovers, the spirits of Pan depart and are heard 
singing in the distance. 

THE MARRIAGE OF CLEONTHES AND THE 
SHULAMMITE 

Tableau, the Grecian custom of Marriage 

I. The Marriage Hymn 

[During the marriage ceremony the spirits 
of Pan softly sing~\ 

By his side his glowing bride 
Is robed in snowy white, 

Like glad-eyed Spring 
When loosed from Winter's tyranny 

To captivate the world! 

66 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 67 

Custom cannot change the glory of 

her youth, 
Nor time wrinkle the beauty of her 

brow! 
Such as creation's dawn beheld, 
She was so then and is so now, 
A miracle of beauty and of love! 

O happy! Happy mortals ye ! 

Care disinherited 
And every lover nearest her 
He loves the best! 
Methinks the gods would envy you 
Though feasting on ambrosial food 
On shady slope of seagirt Paphos 
Isle 

II. On this Glad Night 

[After the marriage the chorus sings~\ 

On this glad night! 
Pour out, O moon and stars, 
The glory of your light! 

And blow, forever blow, ye winds 

The love that sends 
The youthful heart which sings 

The everlasting beauty 
Of these things! 



68 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

[The spirits of Pan sing in the distance] 

The glory of the waving sea 

For you and me! 
The music of the blowing wind 

For you and me! 
The stars from heaven bend 

For you and me! 

The mountains and the mossy vales 
With hidden ferns in shady dales 

For you and me! 
The grassy plains and glistening dew 
With shining suns shot through 

For you and me! 

[Cleonthes and the Shulammite Sing] 

O love! poor is the crowned King 
Of vastest realm, 
Though boasting armies and the mind 
Which could the world o'erwhelm, 
To those who find 
That nature's God to them hath flung 
The poet's soul, harp strung, 
Which makes the things we see 
A glory and a melody to you and me! 
[The lovers depart , dancing to the music of 
Pan] 



SCENE VII. THE SHEPHERD'S TENT 

Cleonthes and the Shulammite are in front 
of the shepherd's tent, surrounded by the sheep 
in the background, with the scene flooded by 
moonlight. 

CLEONTHES SINGS 

Now through the Groves of Pan 
Are scattered all the feasting throng. 

Some seek the dance and some 
Enticed by the sweet magic of the moon, 
Do tempt the night lip answering lip 
With lover's vows. 

The music floats upon the perfumed breeze, 
And mingled with it comes the love, 
The laughter and the dancing feet, 
One with and wonderful as great god Pan, 
Who smiles upon them splendor robed 
And glorified! 

SHULAMMITE SINGS 

Thou too gaze forth on earth's fair jeweled 
works 

69 



70 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

And all her matchless beauty made for thee ! 
Not thine by titles writ on earth, but writ 
By the eternal title Giver's love 
When first he made spring forth the waving 

trees : 
The flowing streams and low-voiced singing 

winds, 
The grassy plains and diamond-beaded dew, 
The lifted mountains and the circled vales; 
Old ocean's tide of waters organ tuned, 
Nights mighty depth of wondrous mistiness, 
The wheeling suns and moon and stars 
Wide wheeling on through space were 

good: 



SHULAMMITE SINGS 

He placed the titles in thy Kingly hands 
Of more than hundred royal sceptred thrones, 

Endowed with richest lands, 
And breathed in thee the spirit that uplifts 
Thy soul to love great Pan and all his gifts 
Of beauty, happiness, and love! 



CLEONTHES SINGS 

Kiss me with the kisses of thy mouth, 
For thy love is better than wine! 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 71 

SHULAMMITE SINGS 

My beloved is mine and I am his! 

/ adjure you, O daughter of Jerusalem, 
By the roes and hinds of the fields. 
That you stir not up, nor waken love, 
Until it please. 

Cleonthes Sings 

I was a shepherd of Tempe, 
You were a maiden of Tyde — 
What ship could it be brought oversea 
You and your eyes of fire? 

You and your blue and purple, 
Your hair in a twisted spire? 

I carried you off to Tempe, 

Out of the white sea town, 
You and your dusky tresses, 

You and your eyes of brown, 
To my sheepskin tent, the way we went, 
And there I set you down. 

And love was lord of Tempe, 

Love like a noonday glow; 
And the smoke of our heath stole upward, 
And the bell of our flock rang low 



72 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

As I clasped you tight in the smoldering 

light 
Three thousand years ago! 

[Spirits of Pan softly sing^\ 

Then hail! All hail to Pan! 

Who piping comes to wake 
Love in the heart of man and maid, 

And make 
Her love answer the love of man, 
And then — ! 

O moon! O stars! O gentle wind! 
O nature splendor robed and 

Glorified ! 

And man and maiden deified 

By Pan, 

Lip answering lip with love divine 

Since time began! 



THE SONG OF SONGS 

The natural interpretation of the Song of 
Songs by Ewald, with which the best scholar- 
ship of today in substance agrees, is as follows: 

"The fascinatingly beautiful Shulammite is 
supposed to have been met by the King on the 
occasion of a tour of his in the north of the 
Kingdom, (Chap. 6:11 f) and placed in his 
harem. The King seeks by flattering and en- 
ticing speeches to win her love, but from the 
very first meeting (Chap, i) she gives him to 
understand to whom her heart belongs. While 
the King then presses her with ever renewed 
words of love and admiration, the emotion of 
love thus stirred within her pours itself forth 
in words addressed to her lover far away. In 
the intensity of her feelings, she imagines she 
sees him come from afar to her prison, she hears 
his words meant for her (Chaps. 2:8f; 4:7f; 
5:2f), and in a dream seeks for him by night in 
the streets (Chaps. 3 :if ; 5 :zi ) . Even the pros- 
pect of becoming the favorite wife of the splen- 
did monarch cannot shake her fidelity to her ab- 
sent lover, and even when the King imagines he 

73 



74 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

has gained his point she remains firm, and re- 
fuses to entertain the idea of allowing anyone to 
enjoy her love but the object of her heart's affec- 
tions (Chaps. 3:6 and 5:8). A last attempt of 
Solomon to win her heart fails (Chaps. 6 and 7)- 
Finally, the King gives her back her liberty, and 
in her home in union with her beloved shepherd 
she finds the consummations of her happiness. 
The song reaches its ideal and goal in the im- 
passioned eulogium on pure, true love, in Chap- 
ter 6:8." 

The plain language of the Song of Songs does 
not suggest that it is other than the glorification 
of human love, and the wonder is that it ever 
found its way into the Canon of Sacred Scrip- 
ture. This would indeed have been impossible 
had not those responsible for admitting it into 
the Bible been obsessed with the allegorical in- 
terpretation of Scripture. They wrested the nat- 
ural interpretation of this exquisite love poem 
into an allegory of the love existing between 
Jehovah and his people, while the evil minded 
find in it the licentiousness of an eastern serag- 
lio. 

Sufficient inducement to the allegorical inter- 
pretation was supplied by Scripture itself ; for, at 
least since the time of the prophet Hosea, the 
representation of the Covenant between Jehovah 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 75 

and his people under the figure of the relation 
between husband and wife had become frequent 
and popular. The true inspiration of the book, 
and the real reason why it should be in the Bible, 
is because the love between man and woman is 
holy and divine. That a poet took this for his 
theme is, indeed, the highest proof that he was 
really inspired. His theme is the love of the 
"only man and only woman" for each other, 
and not the polygamy of eastern and western 
harems. 

THE ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION 

According to the paraphrase of the Targums, 
the poem portrays the history of Israel from the 
Exodus to the redemption and glorification in 
the Messianic times, when the full and final 
union of Jehovah with his people shall be real- 
ized. The roots of this interpretation can be 
found in prophetic literature, such as the three 
first chapters of Hosea, second and third chap- 
ters of Jeremiah, Ezekiel 16, and Isaiah 50:1 
and 54:5f. But this explanation puts difficulties 
in the way of the natural interpretation of the 
poem which deals with earthly love, and in parts 
is the product of erotic poetry. The conscious- 
ness of this had not been lost by the Jews. It 
was felt by them that one must have the ripeness 



76 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

of religious and moral insight and strength in 
order to understand the song not in a false and 
morally pernicious manner. The Jewish regu- 
lations, reported by Origen and Jerome, was 
that no one was to read the poem until he was 
thirty years of age; while its dramatic rendition 
in "The Daughter of Hiram Abif" portrays the 
supreme passion and love of man and woman 
without bringing a blush to the cheek of the 
purest maiden. 

THE DAUGHTER OF HIRAM ABIF 

For dramatic purposes, and in justice to the 
known character of King Solomon, one fatal 
defect in the poem is that no motive is assigned 
that is sufficient, to those who know the love 
affairs of eastern despots, to make him surrender 
the Shulammite and return her to her home. 

In "The Daughter of Hiram Abif" this mo- 
tive is found in the strong ties of commercial 
and personal friendship, and the solemn and 
binding oath of Brotherhood existing between 
Solomon, King Hiram of Tyre, and Hiram Abif, 
the father of the Shulammite, and Cleonthes. 

The Song of Songs is the only book in the 
Bible where the name of God is linked with the 
master passion of human love. 

The king tries to win the maiden's love and 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 77 

place her in his harem with the other court ladies 
or, as they are called, "daughters of Jerusalem." 
Notwithstanding all the blandishment of King 
Solomon; the glittering allurements of the pal- 
ace, city, and court life; wealth, fame, and daz- 
zling glory; the offer of queenship; she remains 
unflinchingly loyal to her shepherd lover, even 
after imprisonment and threat of death. 

Through it all she remains chaste, pure, un~ 
dazzled and unbought, crying out in every temp- 
tation, "my beloved is mine, and I am his;" and 
in every victory says, "I adjure you by the roes 
and hinds of the fields, that you stir not up nor 
waken love until it please." 

In this poem the romance of love has its home 
and birth in the bosom of God, "whose flashes 
are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord." 
In its naturalness, intensity, and passion it is the 
greatest love poem ever written. 



HIRAM, KING OF TYRE, AND HIRAM 
ABIF, THE WIDOW'S SON 

The Account in Kings 

II Sam. v, ii. I Kings v, 7, 13-46. ix, 10 
14, and ix, 26-28. 

The Account in Chronicles 

I Chron. xiv, 1. II Chron. ii. viii, 1-2. viii, 
17-18; II Chron. ix, 21-22. 



HIRAM KING OF TYRE 

Hiram, King of Tyre, was contemporary with 
David and Solomon. We first hear of Hiram 
when he sends an embassy to David after the 
conquest of Jerusalem, and provided him the 
artisans and materials for the building of his 
palace. (II Sam. v, 11 and I Chron. xiv, 1) 

On the accession of Solomon messengers were 

78 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 79 

again sent to the Israelitish court, doubtless 
to offer congratulations to the new king. (I 
Kings v, 11) 

A treaty was concluded between the two 
kingdoms, in accordance with which Hiram sup- 
plied cedar trees and fir trees from Lebanon, 
together with skilled workmen for the building 
of the temple. In return, Solomon paid a 
yearly tribute of 20,000 cors of wheat and 20,- 
000 baths of pure oil (after the reading of the 
Septuagent, II Chron. and Josephus; the 
Hebrew gives 20 cors of oil, I Kings v, 6-1 1). 
At the end of twenty years "wherein Solomon 
had built the two houses, the house of the Lord 
and the King's house," he presented Hiram 
with twenty cities in the land of Galilee. The 
gift, however failed to please king Hiram, who 
called them the land of Cabul, which means 
worth nothing (I Kings ix, 13), though in re- 
turn he made Solomon a present of 120 talents 
of gold (I Kings ix, 10-14). 

The friendly relations between the two* 
monarch were further strengthened by their 
combined trading operations: for "the king 
(Solomon) had at sea a navy of Tarshish with 
the navy of Hiram: once every three years came 
the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold and silver, 



80 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

ivory, and apes, and peacocks" (I Kings x, 22, 
II Chron. xix, 21). In addition to this we 
are told expressly that the sailors of Solomon's 
merchant vessels trading between Ezion-Geber 
(at the top of the gulf of Akabah on the Red 
Sea) and Ophir were accompanied by Hiram's 
servants, "shipmen that had knowledge of the 
sea" (I Kings ix, 26-28, II Chron. viii, 17- 
18) and were well acquainted with the route to 
Ophir (I Kings x, 11). 

In the book of Chronicles the account of Sol- 
omon's dealing with Hiram (II Chron. 2:3f) 
the yearly tribute paid by the former is increased 
to "20,000 measures of beaten wheat, and 20,- 
000 measures of barley, and 20,000 baths of 
wine and 20,000 baths of oil," and is applied to 
the maintenance of the Tyrian workmen. 

This statement seems due to some confusion 
on the part of the Chronicler. Probably a cer- 
tain quantity of wheat and oil was supplied to 
the Tyrian court, and a similar contribution of 
barley, wine, and oil handed over to "the hewers 
that cut timber." The Book of Kings only men- 
tions the former payment, which the Chronicler 
incorrectly combines with a second statement 
(apparently obtained from another source) re- 
lating to the work people only. A more strik- 
ing discrepancy between the two accounts occurs 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 81 

at II Chron. 8:1-2, where the Chronicler, who 
ignores the present of gold made by Hiram to 
Solomon (I Kings 9:14) refers to the cities of 
Galilee as if they had been presented to Solomon 
by Hiram. The omission, as well as the contra- 
diction of the statement of I Kings 9:1 if, is 
probably due to the desire of the Chronicler to 
bring the history more into conformity with the 
views of his own age. According to the latter 
conception it would be as improbable that Sol- 
omon, with all his fabulous riches, should receive 
gold from Hiram, as that he should present 
Israelitish cities to a foreign monarch. 

HIRAM ABIF 

Hiram was the artificer procured by King 
Solomon from Tyre for the purpose of cast- 
ing the various vessels and ornaments of brass 
for the temple (I Kings vii, igf : according to 
II Chron. ii, 13, he was also "skillful to work 
in gold and in silver ... in iron, in stone, and 
in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, 
and in crimson"). The more important of his 
works were the two pillars of brass, the molten 
sea and the twelve oxen, the ten bases and the 
ten lavers, all of brass, beside the vessels of 
brass required for the temple service. Accord- 



82 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

ing to I Kings vii his mother was a widow 
woman of the tribe of Naphthali, and his 
father a Tyrian brass worker. 

The Chronicler, however describes him as 
"Huram Abi" (the word Abi is usually taken 
in the sense of "master," a title of respect and 
distinction, as in Genesis iv, 20-22 and xxxxv 
8) the son of a woman of the daughters of 
Dan (II Chron. ii, I3f). It is probable that 
the Chronicler has here preserved the truer 
account; the latter portion of the name was 
omitted as unintelligible to the author of Kings. 
He further suggests that the dislike felt by the 
editor of Kings to the idea of the temple being 
built by a half-Phoenician, caused him to insert 
the words "a widow of the tribe of Naphthali." 
Josephus describes him as of the tribe of Naph- 
thali on his mother's side, his father being Ur 
of the stock of Israel. (Ant. VIII iii, 4.) 



THE MASONIC TRADITION 
OF HIRAM ABIF 

There is no character in the annals of Free- 
masonry whose life is so dependent on tradition 
as the celebrated architect of King Solomon's 
Temple. Profane history is entirely silent in 
respect to his career, and the sacred records 
supply us with only very unimportant items. 
To fill up the space between his life and his 
death, we are necessarily compelled to resort 
to those oral legends which have been handed 
down from the ancient Masons to their suc- 
cessors. 

When King Solomon was about to build a 
temple to Jehovah, the difficulty of obtaining 
a skilful workman to superintend and to execute 
the architectual part of the undertaking was 
such that he found it necessary to request his 
fiiend and ally, Hiram, King of Tyre, the use 
of some of his most able builders; for the 
Tyrians and Sidonians were celebrated artists, 
and at that time were admitted to be the best 
mechanics in the world. Hiram willingly com- 

83 



84 The Daughter of Hiram Abif 

plied with his request, and dispatched to his 
assistance an abundance of men and material, 
to be employed in the construction of the tem- 
ple, and among the former, a distinguished 
artist, to whom was given the superintendence 
of all the workmen, both Jews and Tyrians, and 
who was in possession of all the skill and learn- 
ing that were required to carry out, in the most 
efficient manner, all the plans and designs of 
the King of Israel. 

Of this artist, whom Freemasons recognize 
sometimes as Hiram the Builder, sometimes 
as the Widow's Son, but more commonly as 
Hiram Abif, who increased that knowledge by 
assiduous study and constant intercourse with 
the artisans of Tyre, who were greatly dis- 
tinguished for their attainments in architecture. 
Tyre was one of the principal seats of the Dion- 
ysiach fraternity of artificers, a society engaged 
exclusively in the construction of edifices, and 
living under a secret organization, which was 
subsequently imitated by the Operative Free- 
masons. Of this association, it is not unreason- 
able to suppose that Hiram Abif was a mem- 
ber, and that on arriving at Jerusalem he intro- 
duced among the Jewish workmen the same 
exact system of discipline which he had found 
of so much advantage in the Dionysiac associa- 



The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 85 

tions at home, and thus gave, under the sanc- 
tion of King Solomon, a peculiar organization 
to the Masons who were engaged in building 
the Temple. 

On arrival of this celebrated artist at Jeru- 
salem, which was in the year B. C. 1012, he was 
at once received into the intimate confidence 
of Solomon, and was intrusted with the super- 
intendence of all the workmen, both Tyrians and 
Jews, who were engaged in the construction 
of the building. He received the title of 
"Principal Conductor of Works" an office which, 
previous to his arrival, had been filled by Adoni- 
ram, and, according to Masonic tradition, 
formed with Solomon and King Hiram of Tyre, 
his ancient patron, the Supreme Council of 
Grand Masters, in which everything was deter- 
mined in relation to the construction of the edi- 
fice and the government of the workmen. 

According to the most consistent systems and 
the general course of the traditions, there were 
three Grand Masters at the building of the 
Temple, of whom Hiram Abif was one, and 
hence in our Lodges he always receives the title 
of a Grand Master. We may, however, recon- 
cile the assertion of Anderson, that he was some- 
times a Deputy Grand Master, and sometimes 
a Senior Grand Warden, by supposing that the 



86 The Daughter of Hiram Ahif 

three Grand Masters were, among the Craft, 
possessed of equal authority, and held in equal 
reverence, while among themselves there was 
an acknowledged subordination of station and 
power. But in no way can the assertion be 
explained that he was at any time a Senior 
Grand Warden, which would be wholly irrecon- 
cilable with the symbolism of the Temple. In 
the mythical Master's Lodge, supposed to have 
been held in the Temple, and the only one ever 
held before its completion, at which the three 
Grand Masters alone were present, the office of 
Junior Warden is assigned to Hiram Abif. 

According to Masonic tradition, which is 
in part supported by scriptural authority, Hiram 
was charged with all the architectural decora- 
tions and interior embellishments of the build- 
ing. He cast the various vessels and imple- 
ments that were to be used in the religious serv- 
ice of the Temple, as well as the pillars that 
adorned the porch, selecting as the most con- 
venient and appropriate place for the scene of his 
operations, the clay grounds which extend be- 
tween Succoth and Zaredatha. 

In allusion to these labors of taste and skill 
displayed by the widow's son, it is said, that 
while the wisdom of Solomon contrived the 



The Daughter of Hiram Abif 87 

fabric, and the strength of King Hiram's wealth 
and power supported the undertaking, it was 
adorned by the beauty of Hiram Abif's curious 
and cunning workmanship. 



